Man pleads not guilty in NYC hate-crime shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — A man accused of shooting a gay man in New York City’s Greenwich Village after taunting him with slurs has pleaded not guilty.

Elliot Morales entered the plea Tuesday as prosecutors alleged that shortly after his arrest he admitted shooting the victim.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance says the 33-year-old Morales had been charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime in the May 17 shooting of Mark Carson. He also is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, and menacing a police officer.

Vance says Carson’s death serves as a reminder of the discrimination that many New Yorkers still face.

Morales is being held without bail in Carson’s death. His lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.